FOR
Distributors and M.R. FACTS & QUESTIONS
FACTS:
There are basically two kinds of tile. One is
manufactured via asingle-fire process and the other a double-fire process. Thesingle fire tile has the same materials all the way through and hasonly gone through the oven once. The firing process burns
off allthe water and the tile becomes one substance, a ceramic substance.
The two-fire process has that particular one-fire process completedand then it is painted with a dye or a glaze and put back in theoven and fired again. Now it has another surface characteristicand/or color on the surface of the tile.
QUESTIONS:
Q: So, sometimes when we refer to glazed tile it does notnecessarily mean that there is a clear surface, it could be apainted surface?
The surface could be painted, glazed, or it could have Corundum init. Corundum tile is designed by the tile companies to create
slipresistance without wearing off the surface as carbide bit tiledoes. Carbide bit tile has carbide particles in the tile when
itis fired, but it chips and wears off. The addition of Corundum
isa vain attempt by the tile companies to eliminate the wear-offprocess experienced with carbide bit tile.
Q: How can you tell whether a tile is a double-fired process
tile?
You can't always tell. We know that certain types of tile arealways single-fire, such as quarry tile and mosaic squares, likethe ones you would see by a pool or shower. We know this just
bythe nature of what they are used for. You wouldn't want to
glazethem because with glaze you create a more slippery surface.
Some glazes are put on tile to make it slip resistant and they willwork temporarily. Still, with detergent cleaners that are
commonlyused, it becomes slippery again because the little surface valleysthat these glazes have to create the slip resistance fill up withgrease and detergents, and you end up using more detergent productson the surface than you would have if the tile has started out witha smooth surface.
Q: How can someone looking at a tile know whether they're
dealingwith a quarry tile?
They're pretty standardized. Most of them are 4" x
4", some are4" x 8", some of them are even 8" x 8." But
it's pretty obviousif you look at the tile and don't see a superficial glaze, or somekind of coating, or built in slip resistant grit, then very likelyit will be quarry tile. If you have a sample of the tile, or
canfind one with an exposed edge, you can look at the side of it andsee if there is an additional layer on top of it.
Q: Does a quarry tile generally have a duller, flatter
appearance?
Yes. Because it is more porous.
Q: Where are quarry tiles primarily used?
Kitchens. Areas which occasionally become wet. High foot
trafficareas where there is a possibility of slippery conditions.
Q: Is a quarry tile always a uniform color?
No, there's yellow quarry tile, there's red, there's orange, thereare several colors. Some of it even has a pattern so you end upwith different color highlights running through it in streaks, butit is still a single fire.
Q: Do mosaic tiles come in uniform colors and sizes?
No, they come in different colors and sizes. They have some nowthat are in 2" x 2" squares, and some that are 3" x
3" squares.
The newer pool tiles are still created via a single-fire process.
It would be a good idea to visit a tile store and allow them toprovide you with an education on the various types of availabletile.
Statement: On the single fired tile, which we have referred to
asquarry tile (the tile which we will usually encounter in akitchen), Gary will usually inspect the floor to evaluate thegrease and detergent build up, and start the process of determiningwhat formula will be required as an initial treatment to return thefloor to a condition that will benefit from the ongoing cleanertreatment. He is going to describe that process now.
Pick the dirtiest, slipperiest place you can find to demo theproduct on a two or three foot square area. Let them suggest aplace, letting them know that the reason you are asking for thattype of area is to show that if it will work there, it will workanywhere. Preferably find an area near a drain where you cansqueegee off easily. Usually the areas near a drain are the
mostdangerous anyway because you usually have a slope. If you are
inan area where there is an appearance level requirement (like alobby), where they don't want to have a nice, new, clean-lookingpiece of tile out in the front and all the rest of it dirty, youwant to pick an area underneath one of the planters or some areawhere they can hide it. Underneath a rug or
something. Withquarry tile you simply pour a premixed formula which has a 1-1ratio (1 part concentrate to 1 part water). Remember, this is
fordirty kitchen tile. Get your brush and brush it vigorously for
aminute or so, getting all the dirt and grease and residue out ofthe grout for a minute or so. Then take your rinse water, pour
iton, and rinse it down the drain. Brush it again. Rinse
your brushout before you brush it again so you've got the acid out of thebrush. Rinse the floor again until the water runs off clear andthe tile beads. Then you've gotten rid of all the acid residue.
When the water beads on the tile, then all of the residue is gone,and you're left with a finished product.
Q: About a 1-1 ratio for an initial treatment on a quarry tile?
Right. In a kitchen on a dirty area. If it's a clean area,
about1-4 (one part concentrate to four parts water - the same as ourcleaner concentrate strength which gets diluted in the mop bucket).
The easiest way to do it is to carry little vials of the pre-diluted product with you in a little briefcase. It looks nice
andprofessional and is more impressive. You've already got them
alllabeled and you know exactly the percentages you're going to putdown because it's already pre-mixed in a squeeze bottle. You
couldeven bring your own spray bottle with rinse water so that you don'thave to run around looking for water and something to hold it in.
Now you've got a self contained demo kit which has your slip meterin it and all your literature.
Explain to the customer that the initial treatment is alwaysformulated for their own unique floor requirements, that no twofloors are alike, and that different tile manufacturers firedifferently. We work to establish what ratio is best for theirinitial treatment. That's why we're floor safety specialists.
Q: You mentioned that one of our distributors is doing a demo
ona quarry tile at the United flight kitchen. What ratio will
theyuse there?
They'll use a 2-3 formula. Two parts concentrate to three partshot water. The floor has been there about ten years and isprobably totally saturated. Quarry tile has a saturation level
of3% a year. That means it retains all grease and contaminates inthe tile and you can't get this out with a normal cleaning process.
So if you've got a tile that is ten years old, 30% of it isirretrievable grease. The top 30% of the surface area. If
youtook a piece of the tile out and took a core sample then the top30% of the surface area of that tile is irretrievable grease,grime, microorganisms, dirt, viscous agents, and built updetergents.
Q: The two parts concentrate to three parts water actually endsup being about one to one and a half. One part concentrate to
oneand a half water. Why, for that floor, did your recommend usinga one part concentrate to one and a half water as opposed to a oneto one formula?
Because the customer is going to do the application themselves withtheir own floor machines and we have to make a competitive bid fora major operation. It is preferable if the initial treatment
ratiocan be as close to the cleaner strength that's going to be in thedrum that they are going to continue to use. So, if they can
usethe same strength with their own equipment with our supervision,they're only paying $9.41 a gallon which will do 200 square feet.
Q: Instead of using the 1-1 formula, your intention was to try torestore the floor with as close to cleaner strength as possible,is that what you were trying to do?
Yes. With a floor machine you have brushes that are going to
worka lot better than hand brushes. Plus, you're going to have
areasthat are cleaner than other areas. You've got to reach a happymedium. You want to use a little stronger solution for thedirtiest part, and a weaker one for some of the cleaner areas.
Most of these flight kitchen maintenance people do a good jobbecause they have to. They have inspectors, with a different
levelof supervision than the average kitchen.
Q: Then the solution can be weaker also because there is going
tobe good brushing action to apply it?
That's not the only reason. They've got a wet-vac machine whichmeans that they will rinse off most of the solution, but not asmuch as if you were to do a thorough manual rinse. The thing
is,they don't want to take 32 hours a day on floor cleaning and, at40,000 square feet by hand, they can't. If the product was toostrong it would leave a residue. They'll be diluting the
cleanerconcentrate at a 1 - 20 ratio since it will be double strength.
Q: Do you know that you have to double strength it for them or
doyou just assume that you need to double strength it?
You have to double strength the product so you can compete withother, less expensive floor cleaners. They're usually paying
aboutfive something a gallon for another product. Others claim thatthey can dilute their product 32-1, which is ridiculous. They
soonfind out that they have to mix it down to about 20-1 or 15-1 to doanything, or they have to clean it twice as often because that'stoo high of a dilution rate. 20-1 for our product at $7.50 agallon for a product that works is close enough to 20-1 at $5.78a gallon. They'll be comparing something that's not even workingto something that is. If there is only $200 to $300 dollarsdifference a month on the additional cost of getting the floors safe and new again, large operations are not going to worry about that. They're getting harder floor surfaces, they're
emulsifyingand removing deeply imbedded grime and grease and bacteria, plusthey're making it slip resistant.
Q: In the case of an account that we are going to double
strength,what is the final dilution applied to the floor?
It's still 1 part cleaner concentrate to 10 parts water because the55 gallon drum proportioner mixes it 1 to 20. Since the cleaneris double strength, it's still 1-10. The same ratio you'd get
ifthe 55 gallon drum contained 1-4 strength and the proportionermixed 1 part cleaner concentrate to 10 parts water.
Q: So, the customer is getting twice as much for their money?
Right.
Q: For which customers do you provide double strength?
I base it on the potential income. If the potential gross is
over$100,000 a year you have to be competitive with what the othercompanies do with that size of an account.
Glazed Tile
Explain where glazed tile is generally used, the kind ofcircumstances where it would require initial treatment, and thenwhat ratios you would use for ongoing cleaner treatments.
If you have any suspicion that the tile is glazed, you should startat a 1 to 20 dilution ratio (slip/safe concentrate to water) andthen cut it to 1 to 15 and then 1 to 10, finding somewhere inbetween where you are not taking all the glaze off but are stillcreating a slip resistant surface which retains its originalappearance level. The only change will be a change in the totalshininess of the surface. It will still look basically the
same,but instead of a waxy, shiny finish, it will have more of a healthyglow.
Q: Generally, where would you find glazed tile being used?
Every place that's not quarry tile. It's used
everywhere. Theyeven use glazed tile in kitchens now because they build in thisphony slip resistance that doesn't work and call it kitchen tile.
Architects are trying to replace quarry tile anywhere that they canbecause it costs more.
Q: Tell me about the chalkiness that sometimes appears and how
yougo about neutralizing it.
Based on Dr. Perry's report (Professor of Chemistry at theUniversity of Utah), the chalkiness is hydroxyapatite which iscreated by the reaction of phosphoric acid on the clays that existin the tile itself. Even in a glazed tile this process occurs,even though the acid is not going all the way through the glazedown into the tile itself. The acid is reacting to the glazematerial itself.
Q: To not even get the effect in the first place, you have to
dowhat?
Have the correct dilution level when you originally apply it.
Q: And so you try to find the weakest dilution level that givesthe results that you're looking for and creates a coefficient offriction that's acceptable?
Yes. To get the coefficient of friction you require sometimes
youend up with the chalky appearance which you have to neutralize withN-7. N-7 is basically a vegetable oil type product. We
call theprocess neutralization for lack of a better term. The oil mightjust be restoring the color in the white so that it blends with thedye underneath and creates a crystal effect instead of a whiteeffect. The bottom line is that the appearance level is
restored.
Once the oil is on the floor it should be removed with a 1 - 10cleaner formula (1 part cleaner concentrate to 10 parts water).
We'll then have a non-slip surface and the chalkiness will betotally gone.
Q: Let's say you do create a chalkiness but it's in an area
wherethere's not a high appearance level requirement. You've statedthat they don't always want it neutralized because they're notconcerned with how it looks.
Right. It depends on the amount of grease that gets on the
floor.In most operations, (for example, a fast food restaurant) thechalkiness is gone within a couple of weeks. But if it's in ahospital, where greasy food is not served, then it might takeseveral months because there is not that much grease getting on thefloor.
Q: So it's the grease that would neutralize it then, it's not
theactual cleaner strength that removes the chalkiness?
The cleaner will have some effect because it will continue toabrase the surface. It's cleaning some of it off each day thatyou're doing it, but it'll take a long time if there's not anygrease going on the floor too.
Q: So then, if there is going to be an appearance level
problem,either you have to avoid it in the first place, neutralize it ortheir own grease gets down on the floor and essentially neutralizesit.
Right.
Q: You indicated that for glazed tile the initial treatmentprobably should go no higher than the 1 to 10, 1 part concentrateto 10 parts water, but as far as cleaner strength goes, the 1 to10 floor strength (1 part cleaner concentrate to 10 parts water)is acceptable?
Right. What we need to stress is that the final ratio is
dependentupon the floor traffic and what kind of grease and grime is gettingon the floor. This is the responsibility of the delivery personon an ongoing basis. If there's a build up and it's gettingslippery, they may recommend a stronger solution one night to getthe floor back to original tile.
Q: That's the kind of information that really helps to clarifythings. Instead of always doing 1 part cleaner concentrate to 10parts water, one day the sales rep or delivery man may say,
"Hey,look, you're getting a build up, the floor's not as slip resistant.
Let's do essentially a mini-shock treatment to reclaim the originalproperties of the floor." He may tell the cleaning people,
"you'vegot to one to one strength your cleaner tonight. Just do it onetime, then go back to your 1 to 10. But do it one time to get
itback to where it was." If he goes in and the floor looks
chalkyhe may tell the cleaner people that, "1 to 10 is too
strong. Goto 1 to 15 because you've got too much overkill. You're wastingproduct. Put more water in it so we don't get the
chalkiness."
This product has a built in dilution level indicator. If you'reusing too much, it gets chalky; if you're not using enough, it getsslippery. If you teach management to be aware of what's
happeningto the floor every day, then they don't have to watch the cleaningpeople every night to see if they did it right. They can tell
ifthey did it right by what it looks like the next morning. This
waythe customer can recommend a change on a daily basis if it'srequired, before we have to come in at the end of the month to tellhim they're doing it wrong.
With the other cleaners you don't know anything about what they'redoing except the floor is always slippery. You don't even know
ifit's cleaning, because if you did a test and tested how manymicroorganism particles there are on the floor, you know it's doinglittle or nothing to clean the floor from the standpoint ofsterilization and safety. These are much more important
measuresof cleaning a floor than some phony detergent which just coversthe dirt. The floor looks clean, but it's filthy, dirty andslippery underneath. The minute you put water on it you find
outthe hard way.
Cement
SLIP/SAFE cleaner strength will get rid of all of the wax build upand extricate enough of whatever seal there may be to create afluoralapatite surface. This molecular exchange with the cementitself creates a permanent hardness factor of five, which is muchharder than the waxes which simply coat the cement, trap waterunderneath and increase the deterioration rate. You now have aless soluble, harder surface that is ten times superior to anywaxes or seals. In essence, you've eliminated the need for anystripping, waxing, or sealing whatsoever, with one type of cleaner.
Q: That's what occurs if you're dealing with bare
concrete. Whatdo you do when you notice that it looks like they've put all kindsof acrylic seals down and some parts are sealed and other parts arebare. What do you recommend to the owner of a floor like that?
Well, if he doesn't want to go through the major expense ofstripping it, just use the cleaner. It will eventually remove
allof the seal and replace it with the fluorapatite, which is a muchbetter replacement than the waxes he's putting on it. He'll
havea floor that lasts twice as long but is just as easy to clean,because fluorapatite is harder than any wax. So it's a lot
easierto clean than any wax is.
Q: So, even the wax and the acrylic that doesn't wear off rightaway will become more slip resistant than it was prior to theSLIP/SAFE treatment?
Well, if you've got a wax there, remember that they haven't waxedit every day. They haven't sealed it every day. They have
useda detergent cleaner in between their annual or semi-annual orquarterly waxing or sealing process. They are attempting toretrieve some of the floor's original appearance. They don't
haveto do that anymore when they put SLIP/SAFE cleaner on that waxed,rewaxed, sealed, dirty surface. Our product will strip off the
toplayer of the residue or the last detergent cleaning. It will
getit back down to the wax and deglaze the wax so that it has someslip resistance for the first time in its life. Every time theyclean with Slip/Safe they'll get another layer of detergent, waxand grease off. It's always maintaining a slip resistant
surface.
Every time they clean it looks newer and cleaner. They're
gettingwhatever dirt and grease has built up between the waxes that theydidn't get off when they stripped it. They're getting down to
theoriginal cement where it looks like a brand new floor.
Q: Or they could go through the major expense, one time, to go
inand strip it all off?
Right. But they'll never get it all off. There is enough
that hassaturated into the cement to where they are still going to have tolet the SLIP/SAFE do the job. That is the only thing that will
getit all off and out eventually.
Q: What would a custodial firm charge and what would they use?
This could also be on tile, not just cement. For a worst casescenario, let's say that there is an epoxy seal. Depending uponhow many layers there are, most janitorial firms will come in andremove it for $.27 per sq. ft. They won't guarantee that they
willget it all out of the grout because the grout is more
porous. Insome cases you may never ever be able to get it all out of thegrout.
Q: What chemicals are they using?
I don't know. Whatever the janitorial supply places sell thatworks. There are a variety of products on the market.
Q: Have you ever gone out and removed an epoxy seal yourself?
Yes. You go buy what they recommend that works. Sometimes
better,sometimes worse, depending on how good the janitorial service isand what manufacturer they're using.
Q: What other type of seals might be on the floor other than anepoxy one?
Acrylic, such as stone guard.
Q: Is that also as hard to remove?
No. They can use a fast wax stripper.
Q: So what about a wax covering?
Again, a wax stripper.
Q: What is an acrylic?
A durable plastic type resin.
Q: What is epoxy?
A combination of solutions that harden a surface. It's a lesssoluble form of plastic. Epoxy is designed to be a permanent
seal,although there are none in reality, except for SLIP/SAFE. It's
nota molecular exchange, it's just a coating that fills voids andpenetrates air spaces. It has nothing to do with a molecularexchange of the actual surface itself.
Q: So, custodial services will go out there without
guaranteeingtheir work and remove waxes, epoxies, acrylics if the customerwants to go to that expense. Then we can treat the floor and
getit back to the condition at which it will remain?
That's correct.
Q: If you're going to go in and do an initial treatment on
cementthat is really greasy and grimy, you earlier said you would usefull strength the first time.
Right, worst case scenario. A transmission shop for example.
Q: And SLIP/SAFE can't hurt cement. Will it create any
type ofappearance problem on cement?
No. It restores it to a brand new appearance. It's not anappearance problem, it's the elimination of an appearance problem.
Q: So, if there is any chalkiness, you can't even tell.
Not with cement. It's white enough anyway. It may look a
littlewhiter than when it was originally poured, but it actually improvesthe original poured appearance because a little whiter always makesit look a little brighter.
Q: So, cement would generally require 1 to 1 as an initialtreatment or possibly full strength? Could cleaner concentrate
(1part slip/safe concentrate to 4 parts water) be an initialtreatment for cement?
Sure, if it is in somewhat original condition with very littlestaining or whatever.
Q: For ongoing cleaner strength, would you dilute the cleaner
at1 to 10 (1 part cleaner concentrate to 10 parts water)?
Sure. Although, depending upon the floor, this dilution could
betoo weak. It might require 1 to 5. Or the surface could be
nonporous and relatively clean, only requiring a 1 to 15 or 20solution.
Q: What about terrazzo? Is terrazzo different or similar
to anyof the others we've discussed?
It's what is called a seamless tile, due to the fact that you don'tuse grout to adhere it to the floor. It's usually cut in
sheets,depending upon the requirement, and encased in a metal
border. Oryou may pour it as you would cement. Basically, terrazzo is abasic calcium mixture with inlaid stones which are polished andleveled.
Q: What would you do if you wanted to create an initial
treatmentsurface and a cleaning surface for terrazzo?
The biggest problem with terrazzo originally was that the calciumbonding agents for the rocks were very soft and deteriorated veryfast, creating an uneven effect. It often broke
apart. Mostterrazzo is usually sealed and waxed. And now you've created abuild-up of dirt and filth that is dangerous as well. That'susually what happened to terrazzo after a few years. That's whyit's not as popular as tile anymore. Now they could use
Slip/Safeand create a fluorapatite with the calcium which would becomeharder than the rocks.
Q: What dilution would you recommend for terrazzo?
One to 4 is usually sufficient for terrazzo.
Would you want to use a higher ratio and then work your way downto 1 to 4?
You don't have the problem of eating the glaze layer off andruining the tile with terrazzo because it is calcium encased rocks.You're not going to ruin it. You might make it too chalky, but
youcould always buff it off.
Q: Then the 1 to 4 would probably work as your initial dilutionfor the terrazzo?
Yeah, you don't have to be as careful with that. One to 4 isusually pretty well consistent as long as you get the wax or sealeroff before you start.
Q: Then the 1 to 10 (cleaner concentrate/water) would also be
thefloor strength solution on the terrazzo, is that right?
Right. You might even be able to go 1 to 20 because you have amore effective reaction with the calcium than you do with the othersurfaces.
Epoxy painted
surfaces
We're often seeing epoxy paint covering the concrete. SLIP/SAFEwill definitely clean the paint, we've seen that.
It will also increase the slip resistance, in the one location,from a 2.5 to 6, which is unheard of with epoxy paint. Epoxy
paintis generally a very slippery paint. Because it dries harder on
thesurface than the interior, you get a more slippery
surface. Whenyou put detergents on it, it becomes criminal. If you putSLIP/SAFE on, you deglaze part of that hard surface. You don'thave to take the paint off.
Q: I assume that if the customer wanted the paint off, someonecould use a paint remover to strip the floor?
Yes, there are chemicals that take epoxy paint off. The paint
isnot going to help the cement because it is sealing the water in.
That is going to help it deteriorate. Still, it seems to besomething that is here to stay, and the only problem with it isthat it gets slippery. So, since SLIP/SAFE eliminates that, youhave the best of both worlds.
Q: What strength do you want to use for an initial treatment onan epoxy painted floor?
You want to go full strength (straight SLIP/SAFE).
Q: Will cleaner strength provide enough of an initial treatmentfor a painted surface?
Well, it won't be as good as it could be, but it will be farsuperior to what they're experiencing.
Q: As far as cleaning a painted surface, 1 to 10 would be thestandard floor strength dilution?
Yes. Because you have no saturation, you're just cleaning
surfacedirt off and replacing the detergent which creates the build upproblem. Now that there's not going to be a build up problem,
theamount of acid you need to clean the dirt off is minimal.
NOTE: For the sake of consistency, every attempt has been made
touse a standard product dilution terminology. The basic keyingredient is referred to as Slip/Safe Concentrate. Slip/SafeConcentrate is mixed with water to create Cleaner Concentrate(usually 1 part Slip/Safe Concentrate to 4 parts water or 2 partsS/S Concentrate to 3 parts water). When the Cleaner Concentrateis diluted with water for use as an ongoing cleaner it is referredto as Floor Strength. The most common Floor Strength is 1 partCleaner Concentrate to 10 parts water.
When the product is being formulated for use as an InitialTreatment or being diluted to create a Floor Strength mixture, thewater should always be hot.
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